Interest Groups Chapter 7. Types of Interest Groups Economic – Labor unions, agricultural, Business, Professional Consumer – public interest, environmental.

Interest Groups

Chapter 7

Types of Interest Groups

• Economic – Labor unions, agricultural, Business, Professional

• Consumer – public interest, environmental

• Equality and Justice – racial issues, gender issues, minority issues

Interest Groups

• Interest groups want to PASS POLICY

• BUT don’t run their own candidates for office

• Interest groups can “access,” or influence many points and levels of government

• First amendment freedoms: speech, petition, assembly

Interest Group Examples

• AARP (American Association of Retired People)• Sierra Club (Environment)• NAACP (National Association for the

Advancement of Colored People)• NOW (National Organization of Women)• ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)• PIRGs (Public Interest Research Groups)• NEA (National Education Association)• AMA (American Medical Association)

Thousands of interest groups in the US

How Interest Groups Work

1. Lobby – (aka Buttonholing) influence government policy

Ex - call/email officials, meet and socialize, go to lunch, testify at committee hearings, ask for political favors

2. Electioneering – keep people in office who are sympathetic to group wants and needs

Ex. - GIVE MONEY TO CAMPAIGNS

How Interest Groups Work

3. Litigation – (aka amicus curiae – “friends of the court”) (1) File briefs that consist of a written argument for their side

OR… (2) groups sue business or gov for action

4. Appealing to the public – make the group’s own public image look good

5. The “Ratings Game” – interest groups rate politicians based on voting records

What makes Interest Groups powerful?

• Size• Power of AARP – 25% of the population

50 and over (Baby Boomers 1945-64)• Intensity – drive or effort put forth (single

issue groups fall into this category)• Money• form a PAC (Political Action Committee) –

donate money to campaigns and advertising

How do Interest groups get money?

• Donations (YOU!)

• Foundations Ex. - Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford

Foundation

• Federal grants (free government money) and contracts (companies hire them to lobby)

Sierra Club

United Auto Workers (UAW)

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

American Association of Retired People (AARP)

National Association of the Advancement of Colored

People (NAACP)

Interest Group Politics

• Are interest groups good or bad for American politics?

• Pluralism, Elitism, and Hyperpluralism

Interest Groups and Pluralism Theory

• Many interests and groups prevents one from being too powerful

• Linkage Institution – links people and government, gives voice to people

• Federalist 10 – factions are bad, but a necessary evil

• All groups are not equal, but gives voice

Interest Groups and Elitism Theory

• Yes, there are lots of groups, but many do not matter AT ALL

• Power held by business groups – MONEY

• Most interest groups have no power

Interest Groups and Hyperpluralism

• Interest groups causing political chaos

• TOO MANY GROUPS

• Government trying to please everyone, resulting policies are haphazard and ill-conceived

• Ex. – support removing business regulations and support environment protection???– impossible

Results

Campaign contributions from PAC, Soft Money, and Donations – 2000 elections

Total Dem% GOP%

Business 75%$1,233,136,672

42% 57%

Labor 6%$90,105,425

94% 6%

Ideological 5%$75,920,267

51% 49%

Other 9%$144,991,377

38% 60%

Unknown 5%$92,861,587

30% 67%

The Revolving Door

• A criticism of interest groups

• Government officials quit their jobs or don’t get reelected

• Then take government jobs for a certain lobbying agency

• Fear that private interests by business have an unfair influence on gov decisions

• Ex- official does favor in return for later job

• Jack Abramoff (60 Minutes interview) very critical of this; wants to ban government officials from going into lobbying work after serving in government

The Lobbyists

PAC’s, SuperPAC’s, 527’s: examples

Perception of Power in Society?

Lobbying Contributions(read clockwise)

Lobbyists